A STUDENT who accidentally overdosed on toxic "slimming tablets" sent a heartbreaking text to her university lecturer predicting she was "going to die", an inquest heard today.

Eloise Parry, 21, also confessed to being "so scared" after swallowing eight tablets containing an industrial synthetic chemical known as dinitrophenol, or DNP - which is usually used in explosives or pesticides.

The toxic tablets, which were purhchased online, caused Ms Parry to be "burned up from the inside" and she died five hours after driving herself to hospital.

Today an inquest into her death heard how she sent a final text to her tutor at Glyndwy University, in Wrexham, while on her way to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

In the message, the Families and Childcare Studies student said she feared she was dying and apologised for "being so stupid".

The text, read out to Shrewsbury Crown Court by Detective Sergeant Andy Chatting, of West Mercia Police, said: "I screwed up big time.

"Binged / purged all night and took four pills at 4am. I took another four when I woke and I started vomiting soon after.

"I think I'm going to die. No-one is known to survive if they vomit after taking DNP.

"I'm so scared. I'm so sorry for being so stupid. Thank you so much for everything.

"I never deserved it. Please pass on my absolute appreciation to all that the tutors have done for me. Thank you more than words. Ella."

ATHENA

The inquest heard the final text message sent by Ms Parry

The inquest heard how Ms Parry, who was a size 10 and 5ft 10ins, was "obsessed" with her body image and had a history of bulimia and self-harming.

On the day of her death on April 12, she had taken four tablets containing DNP at 4am before taking another four when she woke up.

It is believed she had been taking the deadly pills for a month before she died, with the "bright" student also having researched the dangers of the unlicensed drug.

Shockingly, it also emerged that she had purchased more tablets just two hours after she had already taken four pills on the day of her death.

I think I'm going to die. No-one is known to survive if they vomit after taking DNP

Eloise Parry

Det Sgt Chatting added: "I have information to suggest that supplier is elsewhere in Europe and the source of the DNP may be in Canada.

"At this stage it's too difficult to say where the drug may have been coming from.

"The Food Standards Agency are involved in this investigation which is ongoing and we have some involvement from Interpol and some of our partners in the US."

He continued: "One of the issues with regard to DNP is its classification.

"It's not classified as a controlled substance which means the police have to co-operate with partners here and abroad to decide how to take this kind of investigation forward.

"It is a bi-product of the chemicals industry, it's essentially a pesticide.

"A distinction needs to be made between what is a slimming tablet and something which purports to be a slimming tablet which this really isn't."

ATHENA

Ms Parry had taken eight of the tablets before she died

The inquest also heard how Ms Parry, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, complained of the side-effects of DNP to a close friend less than a week before her death.

In a statement read to the coroner, Jade Patricia Andrews added that she feared her friend would die if she carried on taking the tablets.

The 21-year-old, said: "She told me the pills were making her legs sore from muscle deterioration. She told me she had taken DNP but I didn't know what it was.

"She gave them to me to have a look at. I saw at least 20 red and yellow capsules and a yellow powder in the bag.

"She said she wanted to get into an eating disorder clinic and if she didn't she would die.

"She told me she had been getting them from Germany over the internet using her PayPal account.

"I thought if she continued to take DNP she would die. I didn't think she was in the frame of mind to take her own life the last time I saw her."

CATERS

The inquest heard how Ms Parry was 'obsessed' with her body

Ms Parry's mother Fiona Parry, 51, and her younger sister Rebecca Parry, 17, both told the coroner they did not believe she had committed suicide.

Her GP, Dr Carla Ingram, also believed this was the case.

In a statement read to the hearing, Dr Ingram said: "Having had frank and honest conversations with Ms Parry about her use of the drug DNP I'm of the opinion she was not actively suicidal or intending to harm herself when she started taking the medication.

"Ms Parry was deeply troubled but was intelligent and she was aware of the risk to her health taking this drug."

Recording a verdict of an accidental drug overdose, Shropshire coroner John Ellery vowed to write to a Government minister to advise DNP should be classified.

He said: "I'm entirely satisfied that there is no evidence that she did it [took the tablets] with the intent to kill herself and I do not consider Eloise's death to be suicide.

"What is clear is that when she took the DNP she did it in relation to her eating disorder and her death was an accidental consequence.

"This is something I'm going to to raise with the appropriate minister.

"This is clearly a dangerous, toxic and fatal substance which should not be accessible and certainly not to persons seeking unlicensed non-prescription medication."

A police investigation into the origin of the tablets is still on-going.